Android device makers might get their software from Google Inc. for free, but more of them are forking over millions to Microsoft Corp. as an ‘Android tax.’
After signing patent licensing agreements granting Microsoft royalty payments with seven other leading Android makers in the past three months — such as Acer Inc. and HTC Corp. — Microsoft signed a deal Wednesday with Google’s largest manufacturing partner, Samsung Electronics Corp.
It was a dual victory, as the deal will also give Microsoft a “deeper partnership” with Samsung on Windows Phone 7 development.
This is “our most important Android patent licence to date,” Brad Smith, Microsoft general counsel, said on Twitter Wednesday.
While the company did not disclose the amount it will make from each Samsung Android device, RBC Capital Markets financial analyst Mike Abramsky estimates it to be between US$5 and US$15 per device sold.
If only half of the 19 million smartphones Samsung sold during its most recent quarter were running Android, Microsoft would have made between US$50-million and US$150-million based on those figures.
“Microsoft has quickly established precedents that Android phones and tablets require a licence to its patent portfolios,” Mr. Abramsky told clients on Wednesday.
“IP wars may mean that Android‘s ‘free’ open source model— instrumental in its huge growth—morphs into licensing; [so an] Android tax [is] possible.”
Wednesday’s agreement marks the seventh Android licensing deal Microsoft has inked in the past three months, making eight overall. As a result, Microsoft makes royalties on more than half of all Android devices sold in the United States.
That leaves Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. as the only U.S.-based Android maker without a Microsoft licence. Microsoft is fighting to change that, having won a motion last month to have an ongoing patent lawsuit moved to its home district of Seattle.
Days before a Florida judge granted Microsoft’s request, Google agreed to buy Motorola for US$12.5-billion, the largest acquisition in its history.
The deal gave Google control over 83 year-old Motorola’s vast collection of more than 20,000 patents and patent applications, badly needed ammunition the company could use to fend off what it had previously described as “a hostile, organized campaign against Android by Microsoft, Oracle, Apple and other companies, waged through bogus patents.”
Microsoft’s Mr. Smith challenged the Mountain View, Calif.-based company’s assertion in a blog post jointly written with his deputy Horacio Gutierrez and published Wednesday. Calling Google “chief among” those complaining about Microsoft’s licensing strategy, the pair posed a rhetorical question to the search firm.
“If industry leaders such as Samsung and HTC can enter into these agreements, doesn’t this provide a clear path forward?”
Responding to the barb in comments emailed to the Financial Post on Wednesday afternoon, Google said it was the “same tactic we’ve seen time and again from Microsoft.”
Thursday, September 29, 2011
‘Android tax’ spells big bucks for Microsoft
Android device makers might get their software from Google Inc. for free, but more of them are forking over millions to Microsoft Corp. as an ‘Android tax.’
After signing patent licensing agreements granting Microsoft royalty payments with seven other leading Android makers in the past three months — such as Acer Inc. and HTC Corp. — Microsoft signed a deal Wednesday with Google’s largest manufacturing partner, Samsung Electronics Corp.
It was a dual victory, as the deal will also give Microsoft a “deeper partnership” with Samsung on Windows Phone 7 development.
This is “our most important Android patent licence to date,” Brad Smith, Microsoft general counsel, said on Twitter Wednesday.
While the company did not disclose the amount it will make from each Samsung Android device, RBC Capital Markets financial analyst Mike Abramsky estimates it to be between US$5 and US$15 per device sold.
If only half of the 19 million smartphones Samsung sold during its most recent quarter were running Android, Microsoft would have made between US$50-million and US$150-million based on those figures.
“Microsoft has quickly established precedents that Android phones and tablets require a licence to its patent portfolios,” Mr. Abramsky told clients on Wednesday.
“IP wars may mean that Android‘s ‘free’ open source model— instrumental in its huge growth—morphs into licensing; [so an] Android tax [is] possible.”
Wednesday’s agreement marks the seventh Android licensing deal Microsoft has inked in the past three months, making eight overall. As a result, Microsoft makes royalties on more than half of all Android devices sold in the United States.
That leaves Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. as the only U.S.-based Android maker without a Microsoft licence. Microsoft is fighting to change that, having won a motion last month to have an ongoing patent lawsuit moved to its home district of Seattle.
Days before a Florida judge granted Microsoft’s request, Google agreed to buy Motorola for US$12.5-billion, the largest acquisition in its history.
The deal gave Google control over 83 year-old Motorola’s vast collection of more than 20,000 patents and patent applications, badly needed ammunition the company could use to fend off what it had previously described as “a hostile, organized campaign against Android by Microsoft, Oracle, Apple and other companies, waged through bogus patents.”
Microsoft’s Mr. Smith challenged the Mountain View, Calif.-based company’s assertion in a blog post jointly written with his deputy Horacio Gutierrez and published Wednesday. Calling Google “chief among” those complaining about Microsoft’s licensing strategy, the pair posed a rhetorical question to the search firm.
“If industry leaders such as Samsung and HTC can enter into these agreements, doesn’t this provide a clear path forward?”
Responding to the barb in comments emailed to the Financial Post on Wednesday afternoon, Google said it was the “same tactic we’ve seen time and again from Microsoft.”
After signing patent licensing agreements granting Microsoft royalty payments with seven other leading Android makers in the past three months — such as Acer Inc. and HTC Corp. — Microsoft signed a deal Wednesday with Google’s largest manufacturing partner, Samsung Electronics Corp.
It was a dual victory, as the deal will also give Microsoft a “deeper partnership” with Samsung on Windows Phone 7 development.
This is “our most important Android patent licence to date,” Brad Smith, Microsoft general counsel, said on Twitter Wednesday.
While the company did not disclose the amount it will make from each Samsung Android device, RBC Capital Markets financial analyst Mike Abramsky estimates it to be between US$5 and US$15 per device sold.
If only half of the 19 million smartphones Samsung sold during its most recent quarter were running Android, Microsoft would have made between US$50-million and US$150-million based on those figures.
“Microsoft has quickly established precedents that Android phones and tablets require a licence to its patent portfolios,” Mr. Abramsky told clients on Wednesday.
“IP wars may mean that Android‘s ‘free’ open source model— instrumental in its huge growth—morphs into licensing; [so an] Android tax [is] possible.”
Wednesday’s agreement marks the seventh Android licensing deal Microsoft has inked in the past three months, making eight overall. As a result, Microsoft makes royalties on more than half of all Android devices sold in the United States.
That leaves Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. as the only U.S.-based Android maker without a Microsoft licence. Microsoft is fighting to change that, having won a motion last month to have an ongoing patent lawsuit moved to its home district of Seattle.
Days before a Florida judge granted Microsoft’s request, Google agreed to buy Motorola for US$12.5-billion, the largest acquisition in its history.
The deal gave Google control over 83 year-old Motorola’s vast collection of more than 20,000 patents and patent applications, badly needed ammunition the company could use to fend off what it had previously described as “a hostile, organized campaign against Android by Microsoft, Oracle, Apple and other companies, waged through bogus patents.”
Microsoft’s Mr. Smith challenged the Mountain View, Calif.-based company’s assertion in a blog post jointly written with his deputy Horacio Gutierrez and published Wednesday. Calling Google “chief among” those complaining about Microsoft’s licensing strategy, the pair posed a rhetorical question to the search firm.
“If industry leaders such as Samsung and HTC can enter into these agreements, doesn’t this provide a clear path forward?”
Responding to the barb in comments emailed to the Financial Post on Wednesday afternoon, Google said it was the “same tactic we’ve seen time and again from Microsoft.”
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Third try is the charm for Kane and Lynch?
Job postings on IO Interactive’s website (spotted by Gamerzines) suggest that cold-blooded screw-ups Kane and Lynch might come back for another job together.
In addition to programmers for “an unannounced AAA action title,” IO is also looking for a senior multiplayer programmer to lay “the foundation for a yet unannounced 3rd person game with strong cooperative multiplayer elements.” Taken together, these clues strongly point toward another Kane Lynch game.
Still, this is hardly a smoking gun. After all, it would be surprising to see a third Kane Lynch after the harsh treatment Dog Days received from critics, and the speed with which it was consigned to bargain bins.
But as Eurogamer points out, Square Enix’s Ian Livingstone suggested the publisher might not be willing to throw in the towel on these characters. He said, “We haven’t made any announcements about Kane and Lynch going forward, but we all know that Kane and Lynch are two amazing characters who have a lot of brand equity. People like those guys, so they’re not going to disappear.”
Kane Lynch has been a frustrating series, although consistently one of my guiltier gaming pleasures. It’s hard to deny that they are conventional and very easy cover-based shooters, but I’ve always admired them for bypassing stylish faux-grittiness and going straight for vileness and despair. Even though the historical record tells me I should be skeptical of a third game in this series, I can’t help but hope that this time the gameplay and level design will match the style and spirit.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
IBM to Lead $4.4 Billion Chip Investment in New York
Five chip makers, including Intel, IBM, Samsung Electronics, GlobalFoundries and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. have committed investment of US$4.4 billion in research and development in the state of New York over the next five years, to develop new 450-millimeter chip wafer technology, the state’s governor Andrew M. Cuomo said on Tuesday.
New York secured the investment in competition with other locations worldwide, Cuomo said in a speech that was also webcast.
IBM has committed $3.6 billion of the total investment to work on next generations of computer chips, including those using 22-nanometers and 14-nanometers process technology, said John Kelly, senior vice president and director of IBM Research.
Since 2000, IBM has invested more than $10 billion in New York state, its largest investment anywhere in the world, Kelly said.
The transition from 300mm to 450mm wafers will require unprecedented industry-wide collaboration, and the New York project is critical for the new consortium, called Global 450, said Brian Krzanich, senior vice president and general manager of manufacturing and supply chain at Intel.
Intel is already designing and building its future factories to be 450mm capable, and is counting on the results of the research and development in New York in the second half of the decade to go into production in those factories.
Intel has also agreed to establish its 450mm East Coast Headquarters to support the overall project management in Albany.
The investment will retain and create 6,900 jobs in upstate New York, including 2,500 new technology roles, according to a statement issued by the governor’s press office.
No private company will receive any state funds as part of the agreement. To support the project, New York state will invest $400 million in the State University of New York (SUNY) College for Nanoscale and Science Engineering (CNSE) in Albany, including $100 million for energy efficiency and low-cost energy allowances.
The state investment in CNSE will be made over a five-year period. “The state doesn’t fund business. The state funds SUNY if and only if the jobs are actually being created,” Cuomo said.
New York secured the investment in competition with other locations worldwide, Cuomo said in a speech that was also webcast.
IBM has committed $3.6 billion of the total investment to work on next generations of computer chips, including those using 22-nanometers and 14-nanometers process technology, said John Kelly, senior vice president and director of IBM Research.
Since 2000, IBM has invested more than $10 billion in New York state, its largest investment anywhere in the world, Kelly said.
The transition from 300mm to 450mm wafers will require unprecedented industry-wide collaboration, and the New York project is critical for the new consortium, called Global 450, said Brian Krzanich, senior vice president and general manager of manufacturing and supply chain at Intel.
Intel is already designing and building its future factories to be 450mm capable, and is counting on the results of the research and development in New York in the second half of the decade to go into production in those factories.
Intel has also agreed to establish its 450mm East Coast Headquarters to support the overall project management in Albany.
The investment will retain and create 6,900 jobs in upstate New York, including 2,500 new technology roles, according to a statement issued by the governor’s press office.
No private company will receive any state funds as part of the agreement. To support the project, New York state will invest $400 million in the State University of New York (SUNY) College for Nanoscale and Science Engineering (CNSE) in Albany, including $100 million for energy efficiency and low-cost energy allowances.
The state investment in CNSE will be made over a five-year period. “The state doesn’t fund business. The state funds SUNY if and only if the jobs are actually being created,” Cuomo said.
IBM to Lead $4.4 Billion Chip Investment in New York
Five chip makers, including Intel, IBM, Samsung Electronics, GlobalFoundries and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. have committed investment of US$4.4 billion in research and development in the state of New York over the next five years, to develop new 450-millimeter chip wafer technology, the state’s governor Andrew M. Cuomo said on Tuesday.
New York secured the investment in competition with other locations worldwide, Cuomo said in a speech that was also webcast.
IBM has committed $3.6 billion of the total investment to work on next generations of computer chips, including those using 22-nanometers and 14-nanometers process technology, said John Kelly, senior vice president and director of IBM Research.
Since 2000, IBM has invested more than $10 billion in New York state, its largest investment anywhere in the world, Kelly said.
The transition from 300mm to 450mm wafers will require unprecedented industry-wide collaboration, and the New York project is critical for the new consortium, called Global 450, said Brian Krzanich, senior vice president and general manager of manufacturing and supply chain at Intel.
Intel is already designing and building its future factories to be 450mm capable, and is counting on the results of the research and development in New York in the second half of the decade to go into production in those factories.
Intel has also agreed to establish its 450mm East Coast Headquarters to support the overall project management in Albany.
The investment will retain and create 6,900 jobs in upstate New York, including 2,500 new technology roles, according to a statement issued by the governor’s press office.
No private company will receive any state funds as part of the agreement. To support the project, New York state will invest $400 million in the State University of New York (SUNY) College for Nanoscale and Science Engineering (CNSE) in Albany, including $100 million for energy efficiency and low-cost energy allowances.
The state investment in CNSE will be made over a five-year period. “The state doesn’t fund business. The state funds SUNY if and only if the jobs are actually being created,” Cuomo said.
New York secured the investment in competition with other locations worldwide, Cuomo said in a speech that was also webcast.
IBM has committed $3.6 billion of the total investment to work on next generations of computer chips, including those using 22-nanometers and 14-nanometers process technology, said John Kelly, senior vice president and director of IBM Research.
Since 2000, IBM has invested more than $10 billion in New York state, its largest investment anywhere in the world, Kelly said.
The transition from 300mm to 450mm wafers will require unprecedented industry-wide collaboration, and the New York project is critical for the new consortium, called Global 450, said Brian Krzanich, senior vice president and general manager of manufacturing and supply chain at Intel.
Intel is already designing and building its future factories to be 450mm capable, and is counting on the results of the research and development in New York in the second half of the decade to go into production in those factories.
Intel has also agreed to establish its 450mm East Coast Headquarters to support the overall project management in Albany.
The investment will retain and create 6,900 jobs in upstate New York, including 2,500 new technology roles, according to a statement issued by the governor’s press office.
No private company will receive any state funds as part of the agreement. To support the project, New York state will invest $400 million in the State University of New York (SUNY) College for Nanoscale and Science Engineering (CNSE) in Albany, including $100 million for energy efficiency and low-cost energy allowances.
The state investment in CNSE will be made over a five-year period. “The state doesn’t fund business. The state funds SUNY if and only if the jobs are actually being created,” Cuomo said.
Monday, September 26, 2011
AMD Delivers Multi-Display Support with Longevity on Latest Entry-Level Embedded Discrete GPU
Today at Embedded Systems Conference East, AMD (NYSE: AMD) introduced the AMD Radeon™ E6460 discrete graphics processor as AMD’s next generation entry-level embedded graphics processor and complements the previously announced AMD Radeon™ E6760.
With support for up to four simultaneous displays and more than double the 3D graphics performance of the ATI Radeon™ E2400 GPU1, the AMD Radeon E6460 GPU sets a new bar for features and performance in an entry-level embedded GPU. With five years of planned supply availability and with the graphics memory included in the same package, the AMD Radeon E6460 GPU delivers the longevity, small footprint, and ease of design demanded by embedded system designers.
“The AMD Radeon E6460 GPU provides the high value, small footprint, and long supply demanded by embedded customers,” said Richard Jaenicke, director of Embedded Client Business for AMD. “With a footprint-compatible subset of the high-performance AMD E6760 GPU, the new AMD Radeon E6460 GPU enables broadly scalable graphics and multimedia performance in a single board design.”
The AMD Radeon E6460 GPU enables an immersive experience with desktop-level 3D graphics and multimedia features:
With support for up to four simultaneous displays and more than double the 3D graphics performance of the ATI Radeon™ E2400 GPU1, the AMD Radeon E6460 GPU sets a new bar for features and performance in an entry-level embedded GPU. With five years of planned supply availability and with the graphics memory included in the same package, the AMD Radeon E6460 GPU delivers the longevity, small footprint, and ease of design demanded by embedded system designers.
“The AMD Radeon E6460 GPU provides the high value, small footprint, and long supply demanded by embedded customers,” said Richard Jaenicke, director of Embedded Client Business for AMD. “With a footprint-compatible subset of the high-performance AMD E6760 GPU, the new AMD Radeon E6460 GPU enables broadly scalable graphics and multimedia performance in a single board design.”
The AMD Radeon E6460 GPU enables an immersive experience with desktop-level 3D graphics and multimedia features:
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Xperia neo gets Android 2.3.4 update ahead of schedule
Although the recently launched Xperia phones were meant to get the Android 2.3.4 update sometime in October, Sony Ericsson has decided to surprise everyone by releasing it ahead of schedule.
The first one to benefit from this generosity is the Xperia neo (others will be getting it soon as well). The update brings the firmware version from 4.0.A.2.368 to 4.0.1.A.0.283.
Along with adding Android specific updates such as the ability to make video calls from Google Talk, the Xperia neo will also get features like 3D Sweep Panorama, swipe-based text input, built-in screen capture function and enhancements to the Facebook integration, things we saw on the recently announced Xperia neo V and Xperia arc S.
If you haven’t already, fire up the software update utility on your PC and see if your device has received the update and do let us know how it goes.
The first one to benefit from this generosity is the Xperia neo (others will be getting it soon as well). The update brings the firmware version from 4.0.A.2.368 to 4.0.1.A.0.283.
Along with adding Android specific updates such as the ability to make video calls from Google Talk, the Xperia neo will also get features like 3D Sweep Panorama, swipe-based text input, built-in screen capture function and enhancements to the Facebook integration, things we saw on the recently announced Xperia neo V and Xperia arc S.
If you haven’t already, fire up the software update utility on your PC and see if your device has received the update and do let us know how it goes.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Japan defence hit by cyber attack
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries makes everything from surface-to-air missiles, to warships, and submarines
Japan’s top weapons maker has confirmed it was the victim of a cyber attack reportedly targeting data on missiles, submarines and nuclear power plants.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) said viruses were found on more than 80 of its servers and computers last month.The government said it was not aware of any leak of sensitive information.
But the defence ministry has demanded MHI carry out a full investigation. Officials were angered after learning of the breach from local media reports.
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Japan’s defence minister Yasuo Ichikawa said the cyber attackers had not succeeded in accessing any important information but MHI would be instructed “to undertake a review of their information control systems”.
“The ministry will continue to monitor the problem and conduct investigations if necessary,” Mr Ichikawa added.
All government contractors are obliged to inform ministers promptly of any breach of sensitive or classified information.
Google launches Google Wallet service weeks ahead of iPhone 5 refresh
While some reports have suggested Apple could introduce support for NFC-based payments in a new iPhone model as early as this fall, rival Google on Monday launched its own NFC solution conceived initially for Sprint Android smartphones.
What is an NFC e-wallet?
NFC, or near field communication, is a wireless communication technology that operates over short distances and allows certain devices to interact with each other when being placed in close proximity from a few centimeters to a few meters.
A secure application stores credit card information so that a chip in the NFC-enabled smartphone can connect the device to an NFC reader in a store to complete a wireless and rapid exchange of payment information. The technology allows compatible smartphones to function as an efficient e-wallet simply by waving the phone over the reader to pay for a product or service.
Google Wallet
Google Wallet was first announced and demoed in May during the companys Google I/O event and is initially available to Sprint Nexus S 4G users through an over-the-air firmware update.
The Mountain View, Calif., company is working with Citi and Mastercard to help Android smartphone owners use their device as a payment method at stores that support the new technology. In addition to Citi Mastercard credit cards, customers will be able to use a Google Prepaid Card to pay for their purchases. Early adopters of the service will be awarded a $10 bonus after setting up a Google Prepaid Card in the Google Wallet application.
Google said it plans to further expand payment choices in the near future as Visa, Discover and American Express have made available their NFC specifications that could enable their cards to be added to future versions of Google Wallet.
Apple NFC plans and the iPhone
The launch of Google Wallet comes just weeks before Apple is expected to introduce its next-gen iPhone. Reports have suggested Apple could, as soon as next month, announce two distinct iPhone models: a cheaper iPhone 4S model, expected to be based on the current iPhone 4 design, and an all-new iPhone 5.
The latter model has been rumored on more than one occasion to make use of a NFC chip that would allow customers to use it as a virtual wallet. An earlier report claimed that Qualcomm would supply Apple with NFC chips for a future iPhone without specifying whether this year’s iPhone 5 would include parts.
Apples interest in NFC technology and e-payment systems has been evidenced by several patent applications, job postings and even claims made by Deutsche Telekom execs.
Most recently, a New York Times report from last week on the imminent launch of the fifth-generation iPhone reiterated claims related to Apples own e-wallet plans.
When Apple does introduce a mobile-payment-ready iPhone, the company will immediately have an advantage over its competitors, including Google and Microsoft, which are trying to push payments on mobile devices too, author Nick Bilton wrote, though he was unsure whether the technology would arrive in the fifth- or sixth-generation iPhone.
One person familiar with Apples plans said the phones payment information would be tied to customers iTunes accounts, which would make it simple for customers to set up a payment account on the iPhone by simply logging into iTunes,” he added.
Google launches Google Wallet service weeks ahead of iPhone 5 refresh
While some reports have suggested Apple could introduce support for NFC-based payments in a new iPhone model as early as this fall, rival Google on Monday launched its own NFC solution conceived initially for Sprint Android smartphones.
What is an NFC e-wallet?
NFC, or near field communication, is a wireless communication technology that operates over short distances and allows certain devices to interact with each other when being placed in close proximity from a few centimeters to a few meters.
A secure application stores credit card information so that a chip in the NFC-enabled smartphone can connect the device to an NFC reader in a store to complete a wireless and rapid exchange of payment information. The technology allows compatible smartphones to function as an efficient e-wallet simply by waving the phone over the reader to pay for a product or service.
Google Wallet
Google Wallet was first announced and demoed in May during the companys Google I/O event and is initially available to Sprint Nexus S 4G users through an over-the-air firmware update.
The Mountain View, Calif., company is working with Citi and Mastercard to help Android smartphone owners use their device as a payment method at stores that support the new technology. In addition to Citi Mastercard credit cards, customers will be able to use a Google Prepaid Card to pay for their purchases. Early adopters of the service will be awarded a $10 bonus after setting up a Google Prepaid Card in the Google Wallet application.
Google said it plans to further expand payment choices in the near future as Visa, Discover and American Express have made available their NFC specifications that could enable their cards to be added to future versions of Google Wallet.
Apple NFC plans and the iPhone
The launch of Google Wallet comes just weeks before Apple is expected to introduce its next-gen iPhone. Reports have suggested Apple could, as soon as next month, announce two distinct iPhone models: a cheaper iPhone 4S model, expected to be based on the current iPhone 4 design, and an all-new iPhone 5.
The latter model has been rumored on more than one occasion to make use of a NFC chip that would allow customers to use it as a virtual wallet. An earlier report claimed that Qualcomm would supply Apple with NFC chips for a future iPhone without specifying whether this year’s iPhone 5 would include parts.
Apples interest in NFC technology and e-payment systems has been evidenced by several patent applications, job postings and even claims made by Deutsche Telekom execs.
Most recently, a New York Times report from last week on the imminent launch of the fifth-generation iPhone reiterated claims related to Apples own e-wallet plans.
When Apple does introduce a mobile-payment-ready iPhone, the company will immediately have an advantage over its competitors, including Google and Microsoft, which are trying to push payments on mobile devices too, author Nick Bilton wrote, though he was unsure whether the technology would arrive in the fifth- or sixth-generation iPhone.
One person familiar with Apples plans said the phones payment information would be tied to customers iTunes accounts, which would make it simple for customers to set up a payment account on the iPhone by simply logging into iTunes,” he added.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Qualcomm Snapdragon roadmap talks of 2.5 GHz quad-core CPUs
Qualcomm has just revealed its Snapdragon roadmap, showing us the chipsets that we should be looking forward this year and things are looking pretty exciting. Apparently, we are just a few months away from mobile chipsets with 2.5GHz quad-core CPUs
The S4 class of the Snapdragon family, which will be used in next-generation devices, will be using 28nm architecture for much better power-efficiency than the current crop of mobile chipsets. It will offer single-core, dual-core, and quad-core processors clocked all the way up to 2.5GHz plus a new GPU.
So far, Adreno GPUs haven’t won many battles on the mobile front, but Qualcomm will obviously try and change that. They next Adreno will be using new architecture and will have either two or four cores. So the top model of the next Snapdragon generation should have 8 processing cores – four for the CPU and four for the GPU – amazing right?Finally, Qualcomm will also make sure that it’s not lagging behind in terms of network radios and it will be equipping its next gen chipsets with 3G and LTE antennas. With the LTE network coverage expected to rapidly expand over the next couple of years we can’t see anyone being shocked about that.
Qualcomm Snapdragon roadmap talks of 2.5 GHz quad-core CPUs
Qualcomm has just revealed its Snapdragon roadmap, showing us the chipsets that we should be looking forward this year and things are looking pretty exciting. Apparently, we are just a few months away from mobile chipsets with 2.5GHz quad-core CPUs
The S4 class of the Snapdragon family, which will be used in next-generation devices, will be using 28nm architecture for much better power-efficiency than the current crop of mobile chipsets. It will offer single-core, dual-core, and quad-core processors clocked all the way up to 2.5GHz plus a new GPU.
So far, Adreno GPUs haven’t won many battles on the mobile front, but Qualcomm will obviously try and change that. They next Adreno will be using new architecture and will have either two or four cores. So the top model of the next Snapdragon generation should have 8 processing cores – four for the CPU and four for the GPU – amazing right?Finally, Qualcomm will also make sure that it’s not lagging behind in terms of network radios and it will be equipping its next gen chipsets with 3G and LTE antennas. With the LTE network coverage expected to rapidly expand over the next couple of years we can’t see anyone being shocked about that.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
BlackBerry Maker Hit By Slump In Profits
The company behind BlackBerry has seen its profits almost halved as sales of its tablets and smartphones fell below expectations.
Research In Motion (RIM), which has has more than 70 million subscribers, painted a grey picture for its second quarter.
The company’s net profit fell 47% to $419m, while revenue was down 10% to $4.2bn, compared to $4.6bn in the same quarter of last year.
RIM’s Nasdaq-listed shares fell as much as 19% to $24.20 in after-hours trade following the results.
During the quarter, RIM sold approximately 10.6 million BlackBerry smartphones and approximately 200,000 BlackBerry PlayBook tablets.
Analysts had expected much higher figures of around 12 million and 600,000 respectively.
The poor results show how far BlackBerry has fallen behind Apple’s iPhone and devices – Apple sold over 20 million iPhones and more than nine million iPads in the same period.
In July, Research In Motion announced it was cutting 10% of its workforce because it was struggling to keep up with competitors.
However, RIM’s co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie defended the company’s performance, saying results would improve in the second half of the year.
Mr Lazardis said: “We understand that the past few quarters have been challenging and we are confident that we are on track to return to growth in Q3 and beyond.”
Mr. Balsillie added: “We successfully launched a range of BlackBerry 7 smartphones and we are seeing strong sell-through and customer interest for these new products.”
RIM is working to get the QNX software that powers its PlayBook tablet onto its next generation of smartphones, possibly as soon as early 2012.
BlackBerry Maker Hit By Slump In Profits
The company behind BlackBerry has seen its profits almost halved as sales of its tablets and smartphones fell below expectations.
Research In Motion (RIM), which has has more than 70 million subscribers, painted a grey picture for its second quarter.
The company’s net profit fell 47% to $419m, while revenue was down 10% to $4.2bn, compared to $4.6bn in the same quarter of last year.
RIM’s Nasdaq-listed shares fell as much as 19% to $24.20 in after-hours trade following the results.
During the quarter, RIM sold approximately 10.6 million BlackBerry smartphones and approximately 200,000 BlackBerry PlayBook tablets.
Analysts had expected much higher figures of around 12 million and 600,000 respectively.
The poor results show how far BlackBerry has fallen behind Apple’s iPhone and devices – Apple sold over 20 million iPhones and more than nine million iPads in the same period.
In July, Research In Motion announced it was cutting 10% of its workforce because it was struggling to keep up with competitors.
However, RIM’s co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie defended the company’s performance, saying results would improve in the second half of the year.
Mr Lazardis said: “We understand that the past few quarters have been challenging and we are confident that we are on track to return to growth in Q3 and beyond.”
Mr. Balsillie added: “We successfully launched a range of BlackBerry 7 smartphones and we are seeing strong sell-through and customer interest for these new products.”
RIM is working to get the QNX software that powers its PlayBook tablet onto its next generation of smartphones, possibly as soon as early 2012.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Nokia Loses Place In European Blue Chip Index
HELSINKI -(Dow Jones)- Finnish handset maker Nokia Corp.(NOK) will suffer another blow to its reputation Friday when it drops out of a benchmark index of Europe’s biggest stocks because of the sharp fall in its market value in recent months.
The company has had a bad year as its inability to compete with rivals in the fast-growing smartphone market has left it losing market share and profitability. It lost its position as the world’s biggest provider of smartphones to Apple Inc. (AAPL) and was also losing ground to rivals making phones based on Google Inc.’s (GOOG) Android platform. It responded by dumping its own Symbian operating system for smartphones in favor of a partnership with Microsoft Corp., which will provide Nokia with its Windows software. It has also been cutting costs and jobs.
A string of bad news and poor financial results, including a profit warning in February that preceded a second quarter loss, has hit the company’s shares hard. The stock has fallen 42% so far in 2011, and is down 35% since the STOXX Europe 50 index was last reviewed in September 2010, meaning it is no longer big enough to be in an index that aims to include the biggest companies from the biggest sectors in the 18 largest economies in Europe. Its market capitalization is down to EUR16.7 billion, from EUR25.6 billion last September.
Nokia will exit the index after Friday’s trading session and fund managers investing in the STOXX Europe 50 index will have to adjust their portfolios to match the new index composition starting on Monday.
Three European banks, which have seen their shares hit by the financial crisis and continuing concerns about bank exposure to sovereign debt, will also leave the STOXX Europe 50 index — Societe Generale (GLE.FR), Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP.MI) and Unicredit (UCG.MI). The four stocks will be replaced by Unilever PLC (UL), LVMH Moet Hennessy (MC), National Grid PLC (NGG) and Air Liquide SA (AI.FR).
Nokia saw its share of the global smartphone market slip to third place in the second quarter, to 15.2% from 38.1% a year earlier, according to market research firm Strategy Analytics. In terms of overall phones, Nokia held a 34.7% share of the handset market, ahead of Samsung’s 19.9% share.
Still, Societe Generale argued Friday that some of the issues that has seen Nokia losing market share are now starting to be fixed.
“Our channel checks suggest that Nokia’s sales of dual-SIM handsets have been strong and could reach 25 million units in the third quarter,” Societe Generale said, while upping its recommendation on Nokia to buy from hold with a EUR6.0 target.
The French bank said the expected third-quarter sales show that Nokia has “maintained its strength in sourcing, manufacturing and logistics, enabling the company to exploit popular products rapidly.”
At 1155 GMT Friday, Nokia’s shares were up 0.2% at EUR4.46 on Helsinki’s OMX index, having recovered from earlier falls that were related to its exit from the STOXX Europe 50 and further bad news from another company recently struggling in the smartphone market, Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM, RIM.T), according to traders. Nokia’s stock has also recovered 34% since reaching a 14-year low of EUR3.33 August 11.
Blackberry maker RIM Thursday said it shipped fewer BlackBerrys in its latest quarter than analysts expected, raising further doubts about whether it can claw back falling market share.
The company has had a bad year as its inability to compete with rivals in the fast-growing smartphone market has left it losing market share and profitability. It lost its position as the world’s biggest provider of smartphones to Apple Inc. (AAPL) and was also losing ground to rivals making phones based on Google Inc.’s (GOOG) Android platform. It responded by dumping its own Symbian operating system for smartphones in favor of a partnership with Microsoft Corp., which will provide Nokia with its Windows software. It has also been cutting costs and jobs.
A string of bad news and poor financial results, including a profit warning in February that preceded a second quarter loss, has hit the company’s shares hard. The stock has fallen 42% so far in 2011, and is down 35% since the STOXX Europe 50 index was last reviewed in September 2010, meaning it is no longer big enough to be in an index that aims to include the biggest companies from the biggest sectors in the 18 largest economies in Europe. Its market capitalization is down to EUR16.7 billion, from EUR25.6 billion last September.
Nokia will exit the index after Friday’s trading session and fund managers investing in the STOXX Europe 50 index will have to adjust their portfolios to match the new index composition starting on Monday.
Three European banks, which have seen their shares hit by the financial crisis and continuing concerns about bank exposure to sovereign debt, will also leave the STOXX Europe 50 index — Societe Generale (GLE.FR), Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP.MI) and Unicredit (UCG.MI). The four stocks will be replaced by Unilever PLC (UL), LVMH Moet Hennessy (MC), National Grid PLC (NGG) and Air Liquide SA (AI.FR).
Nokia saw its share of the global smartphone market slip to third place in the second quarter, to 15.2% from 38.1% a year earlier, according to market research firm Strategy Analytics. In terms of overall phones, Nokia held a 34.7% share of the handset market, ahead of Samsung’s 19.9% share.
Still, Societe Generale argued Friday that some of the issues that has seen Nokia losing market share are now starting to be fixed.
“Our channel checks suggest that Nokia’s sales of dual-SIM handsets have been strong and could reach 25 million units in the third quarter,” Societe Generale said, while upping its recommendation on Nokia to buy from hold with a EUR6.0 target.
The French bank said the expected third-quarter sales show that Nokia has “maintained its strength in sourcing, manufacturing and logistics, enabling the company to exploit popular products rapidly.”
At 1155 GMT Friday, Nokia’s shares were up 0.2% at EUR4.46 on Helsinki’s OMX index, having recovered from earlier falls that were related to its exit from the STOXX Europe 50 and further bad news from another company recently struggling in the smartphone market, Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM, RIM.T), according to traders. Nokia’s stock has also recovered 34% since reaching a 14-year low of EUR3.33 August 11.
Blackberry maker RIM Thursday said it shipped fewer BlackBerrys in its latest quarter than analysts expected, raising further doubts about whether it can claw back falling market share.
Nokia Loses Place In European Blue Chip Index
HELSINKI -(Dow Jones)- Finnish handset maker Nokia Corp.(NOK) will suffer another blow to its reputation Friday when it drops out of a benchmark index of Europe’s biggest stocks because of the sharp fall in its market value in recent months.
The company has had a bad year as its inability to compete with rivals in the fast-growing smartphone market has left it losing market share and profitability. It lost its position as the world’s biggest provider of smartphones to Apple Inc. (AAPL) and was also losing ground to rivals making phones based on Google Inc.’s (GOOG) Android platform. It responded by dumping its own Symbian operating system for smartphones in favor of a partnership with Microsoft Corp., which will provide Nokia with its Windows software. It has also been cutting costs and jobs.
A string of bad news and poor financial results, including a profit warning in February that preceded a second quarter loss, has hit the company’s shares hard. The stock has fallen 42% so far in 2011, and is down 35% since the STOXX Europe 50 index was last reviewed in September 2010, meaning it is no longer big enough to be in an index that aims to include the biggest companies from the biggest sectors in the 18 largest economies in Europe. Its market capitalization is down to EUR16.7 billion, from EUR25.6 billion last September.
Nokia will exit the index after Friday’s trading session and fund managers investing in the STOXX Europe 50 index will have to adjust their portfolios to match the new index composition starting on Monday.
Three European banks, which have seen their shares hit by the financial crisis and continuing concerns about bank exposure to sovereign debt, will also leave the STOXX Europe 50 index — Societe Generale (GLE.FR), Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP.MI) and Unicredit (UCG.MI). The four stocks will be replaced by Unilever PLC (UL), LVMH Moet Hennessy (MC), National Grid PLC (NGG) and Air Liquide SA (AI.FR).
Nokia saw its share of the global smartphone market slip to third place in the second quarter, to 15.2% from 38.1% a year earlier, according to market research firm Strategy Analytics. In terms of overall phones, Nokia held a 34.7% share of the handset market, ahead of Samsung’s 19.9% share.
Still, Societe Generale argued Friday that some of the issues that has seen Nokia losing market share are now starting to be fixed.
“Our channel checks suggest that Nokia’s sales of dual-SIM handsets have been strong and could reach 25 million units in the third quarter,” Societe Generale said, while upping its recommendation on Nokia to buy from hold with a EUR6.0 target.
The French bank said the expected third-quarter sales show that Nokia has “maintained its strength in sourcing, manufacturing and logistics, enabling the company to exploit popular products rapidly.”
At 1155 GMT Friday, Nokia’s shares were up 0.2% at EUR4.46 on Helsinki’s OMX index, having recovered from earlier falls that were related to its exit from the STOXX Europe 50 and further bad news from another company recently struggling in the smartphone market, Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM, RIM.T), according to traders. Nokia’s stock has also recovered 34% since reaching a 14-year low of EUR3.33 August 11.
Blackberry maker RIM Thursday said it shipped fewer BlackBerrys in its latest quarter than analysts expected, raising further doubts about whether it can claw back falling market share.
The company has had a bad year as its inability to compete with rivals in the fast-growing smartphone market has left it losing market share and profitability. It lost its position as the world’s biggest provider of smartphones to Apple Inc. (AAPL) and was also losing ground to rivals making phones based on Google Inc.’s (GOOG) Android platform. It responded by dumping its own Symbian operating system for smartphones in favor of a partnership with Microsoft Corp., which will provide Nokia with its Windows software. It has also been cutting costs and jobs.
A string of bad news and poor financial results, including a profit warning in February that preceded a second quarter loss, has hit the company’s shares hard. The stock has fallen 42% so far in 2011, and is down 35% since the STOXX Europe 50 index was last reviewed in September 2010, meaning it is no longer big enough to be in an index that aims to include the biggest companies from the biggest sectors in the 18 largest economies in Europe. Its market capitalization is down to EUR16.7 billion, from EUR25.6 billion last September.
Nokia will exit the index after Friday’s trading session and fund managers investing in the STOXX Europe 50 index will have to adjust their portfolios to match the new index composition starting on Monday.
Three European banks, which have seen their shares hit by the financial crisis and continuing concerns about bank exposure to sovereign debt, will also leave the STOXX Europe 50 index — Societe Generale (GLE.FR), Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP.MI) and Unicredit (UCG.MI). The four stocks will be replaced by Unilever PLC (UL), LVMH Moet Hennessy (MC), National Grid PLC (NGG) and Air Liquide SA (AI.FR).
Nokia saw its share of the global smartphone market slip to third place in the second quarter, to 15.2% from 38.1% a year earlier, according to market research firm Strategy Analytics. In terms of overall phones, Nokia held a 34.7% share of the handset market, ahead of Samsung’s 19.9% share.
Still, Societe Generale argued Friday that some of the issues that has seen Nokia losing market share are now starting to be fixed.
“Our channel checks suggest that Nokia’s sales of dual-SIM handsets have been strong and could reach 25 million units in the third quarter,” Societe Generale said, while upping its recommendation on Nokia to buy from hold with a EUR6.0 target.
The French bank said the expected third-quarter sales show that Nokia has “maintained its strength in sourcing, manufacturing and logistics, enabling the company to exploit popular products rapidly.”
At 1155 GMT Friday, Nokia’s shares were up 0.2% at EUR4.46 on Helsinki’s OMX index, having recovered from earlier falls that were related to its exit from the STOXX Europe 50 and further bad news from another company recently struggling in the smartphone market, Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM, RIM.T), according to traders. Nokia’s stock has also recovered 34% since reaching a 14-year low of EUR3.33 August 11.
Blackberry maker RIM Thursday said it shipped fewer BlackBerrys in its latest quarter than analysts expected, raising further doubts about whether it can claw back falling market share.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Two Reasons NBA 2K12 Is Better Than Ever
And that’s just one of the almost 30 classic teams you can unlock in NBA 2K12.
The presentation in My Player got a significant upgrade across the board. Press interviews and sponsorship deals accent the experience. And you’re given goals to meet, because the ultimate endgame for the mode is to get inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Gamers have come to expect that annual sports games will be marginally improved versions of the previous game. Last year we gave NBA 2K 11 an astonishing 9.5, the Sports Game of the Year title, and listed it as one of our Top 100 modern games (one of only two sports games on the list). That’s quite an accomplishment, and it was well deserved. But get this: Everything I’ve seen of NBA 2K12, and I mean everything, is better than last year. All of it. But two things stand out as the coolest parts of the game for me thus far.
For me, sports games are all about creating myself as a professional athlete. It’s my favorite mode in any sports game. I thought I was in the minority on this, but according to 2K Sports, My Player was their most popular mode in NBA 2K11. It’s surprising, considering that, frankly, My Player was the weakest part of last year’s game.
Remember how lackluster My Player was in NBA 2K11? You controlled the worst player in the combine, stumbling through boring pickup games in an empty gym until you finally got drafted into the NBA, where things didn’t get a whole lot better.Forget all that.
In NBA 2K12 you make a breakaway for the draft. There’s just one game before the draft. A full, spectator heavy, commentary filled game with lights, action, teams and a lot of flair. And you don’t suck, either. Your stats are on par with other first round draft picks, giving you the skills you need to prove you have talent on the court. Instantly the mode feels more fun to play because you can actually make shots, blocks, and steals. The point system is more forgiving, so I actually ended up with a B+ rating at halftime on my first game.
If you’re a fan of My Player, or even didn’t like the version last year, you need to check it out when NBA 2K12 comes out.
I loved the Jordan modes in NBA 2K11. Reliving the career of greatest player who ever balled was awesome, and it’s hard to think of what could top that. Until I loaded up the Jordan game in NBA 2K12 and saw I was playing against the 1993 Charlotte Hornets.Hell yes.
There is no team in the history of basketball I love more than the ’93 Hornets. Alonzo Mourning, Larry Johnson, Kendall Gill, and my man, my hero, Muggsy Bogues (hey I was freaking short back in the day). One of the most fun teams in the history of the game.
The presentation in NBA’s Greatest blew me away. When you load up a 1964 Celtics vs Lakers game and step into the sneakers of Bill Russell, the game becomes a black and white, ’60s broadcast. The same goes for Jerry West and the Lakers in the ’70s. It’s awesome.
NBA 2K12′s October 4 release date is just a few short weeks away, but that’s still too long to wait.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Operation Flashpoint studio to close, Codemasters to focus on racing titles
News arrives from GamesIndustry.biz that Codemasters is closing down its Guildford studio, which has previously worked on the recent Operation Flashpoint games, and the poorly received console shooter, Bodycount.
Codemaster’s official statement says that the publisher will be concentrating on growing the teams based at their Warwickshire and Birmingham studios, responsible for racing titles like DiRT, GRID, F1 Online and F1 2011. The closure of the Guildford studio means we’re not likely to see any more shooters from Codemasters in the foreseeable future.
The studio closure has affected 66 members of staff, who “are now involved in a consultation period.” The Codemasters statement says that employees at Guildford “will be encouraged to apply for suitable positions on campus and in the Birmingham studio,” where Codemasters plan to form another team to start work on a new racing title.
“As Codemasters looks to take greater leadership in the racing category, the company is proposing a studio structure that adds resource and strengthens our best-in-class racing teams.” reads the statement. “The output from the studios on the Warwickshire campus and in Birmingham is on the increase.”
Dirt 3 was the last racer Codemasters released on PC. We gave it a score of 88 in our Dirt 3 review. F1 2011 is out later this month.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Fifa 12 demo out now
For the first time in years, the new Fifa on PC gets all the same bells and whistles as the console versions. That means we’ll get the crunching tackles enabled by the Player Impact Engine. You can see the new tech in action right now, in the 1.5 GB Fifa 12 demo, which offers 3 minute matches in Man City’s Etihad arena. Arsenal, Man City, Barcelona, Milan, Marseille, and Borussia Dortmund are all playable, and the demo includes a series of tutorials to teach you the finer arts of tackling horribly late and mangling up your opponent. Fifa 12 is out on September 27 in the US, and September 30 in Europe.
DICE on Battlefield 3 PC as lead platform: “people don’t understand that the PC is more powerful”
DICE general manager Karl Magnus Troedsson has been talking to Eurogamer about why the PC is the lead platform for Battlefield 3.
Console players have been concerned about the fact that the footage and screenshots of Battlefield 3 have mostly come from the PC version so far.
“I have to say that this discussion is a bit over the top because people don’t understand that the PC is more powerful than a console – they haven’t looked under the hood and in detail,” says Troedsson.
“We always want to show a platform that we have chosen to be our lead platform. In this case we did choose PC as the lead platform; it’s the one that has been, mostly, driving development forward. That is the reason why we have spearheaded a lot of the key assets with this as well.”
Troedsson tells Eurogamer that DICE uses PC as the lead platform in order to create the “unique” features that are only possible with the extra power of the PC, 64 player maps being the main one. Troedsson says that large scale battles are “not possible” on
Friday, September 16, 2011
Google Acquires Over 1,000 IBM Patents
Google has acquired over 1,000 patents from IBM, as part of its strategy to strengthen its patent portfolio to counter litigation, according to records of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Jim Prosser, a Google spokesman, confirmed the transfer, reported by a blog SEO by the Sea, but did not provide details such as the price Google may have paid for the patents.
Google also acquired another over 1,000 patents from IBM in July. It transferred recently some patents to smartphone maker HTC to help it pursue patent litigation against Apple.
Google has been interested in acquiring patents for some time now, which led to its failed bid in June for the patents of Nortel Networks, and its proposed acquisition of Motorola Mobility for about US$12.5 billion.
The tech world has recently seen an explosion in patent litigation, often involving low-quality software patents, which threatens to stifle innovation, Kent Walker, Google’s senior vice president and general counsel, said in a blog post in April.
“But as things stand today, one of a company’s best defenses against this kind of litigation is (ironically) to have a formidable patent portfolio, as this helps maintain your freedom to develop new products and services,” he added.
The acquisition of Motorola Mobility’s patents was a key consideration for Google to start talking to the company in early July. But Motorola told Google that it could be a problem for Motorola Mobility to continue as a stand-alone entity if it sold a large portion of its patent portfolio, according to a filing by Motorola to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday.
Like the patents from the previous patent transaction between Google and IBM, the range of inventions covered in the new set of patents is pretty broad, including desktop and server hardware, computer security, database processes, circuit design, parallel database systems and architecture, user authentication, creditcard/smartcard testing, and much more, said SEO by the Sea. The vast majority of patents appear to have been originally assigned to IBM, but there were a few that started out at Cognos, which IBM acquired in 2007, and which was merged into IBM’s business intelligence offerings, it added.
Jim Prosser, a Google spokesman, confirmed the transfer, reported by a blog SEO by the Sea, but did not provide details such as the price Google may have paid for the patents.
Google also acquired another over 1,000 patents from IBM in July. It transferred recently some patents to smartphone maker HTC to help it pursue patent litigation against Apple.
Google has been interested in acquiring patents for some time now, which led to its failed bid in June for the patents of Nortel Networks, and its proposed acquisition of Motorola Mobility for about US$12.5 billion.
The tech world has recently seen an explosion in patent litigation, often involving low-quality software patents, which threatens to stifle innovation, Kent Walker, Google’s senior vice president and general counsel, said in a blog post in April.
“But as things stand today, one of a company’s best defenses against this kind of litigation is (ironically) to have a formidable patent portfolio, as this helps maintain your freedom to develop new products and services,” he added.
The acquisition of Motorola Mobility’s patents was a key consideration for Google to start talking to the company in early July. But Motorola told Google that it could be a problem for Motorola Mobility to continue as a stand-alone entity if it sold a large portion of its patent portfolio, according to a filing by Motorola to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday.
Like the patents from the previous patent transaction between Google and IBM, the range of inventions covered in the new set of patents is pretty broad, including desktop and server hardware, computer security, database processes, circuit design, parallel database systems and architecture, user authentication, creditcard/smartcard testing, and much more, said SEO by the Sea. The vast majority of patents appear to have been originally assigned to IBM, but there were a few that started out at Cognos, which IBM acquired in 2007, and which was merged into IBM’s business intelligence offerings, it added.
Google Acquires Over 1,000 IBM Patents
Google has acquired over 1,000 patents from IBM, as part of its strategy to strengthen its patent portfolio to counter litigation, according to records of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Jim Prosser, a Google spokesman, confirmed the transfer, reported by a blog SEO by the Sea, but did not provide details such as the price Google may have paid for the patents.
Google also acquired another over 1,000 patents from IBM in July. It transferred recently some patents to smartphone maker HTC to help it pursue patent litigation against Apple.
Google has been interested in acquiring patents for some time now, which led to its failed bid in June for the patents of Nortel Networks, and its proposed acquisition of Motorola Mobility for about US$12.5 billion.
The tech world has recently seen an explosion in patent litigation, often involving low-quality software patents, which threatens to stifle innovation, Kent Walker, Google’s senior vice president and general counsel, said in a blog post in April.
“But as things stand today, one of a company’s best defenses against this kind of litigation is (ironically) to have a formidable patent portfolio, as this helps maintain your freedom to develop new products and services,” he added.
The acquisition of Motorola Mobility’s patents was a key consideration for Google to start talking to the company in early July. But Motorola told Google that it could be a problem for Motorola Mobility to continue as a stand-alone entity if it sold a large portion of its patent portfolio, according to a filing by Motorola to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday.
Like the patents from the previous patent transaction between Google and IBM, the range of inventions covered in the new set of patents is pretty broad, including desktop and server hardware, computer security, database processes, circuit design, parallel database systems and architecture, user authentication, creditcard/smartcard testing, and much more, said SEO by the Sea. The vast majority of patents appear to have been originally assigned to IBM, but there were a few that started out at Cognos, which IBM acquired in 2007, and which was merged into IBM’s business intelligence offerings, it added.
Jim Prosser, a Google spokesman, confirmed the transfer, reported by a blog SEO by the Sea, but did not provide details such as the price Google may have paid for the patents.
Google also acquired another over 1,000 patents from IBM in July. It transferred recently some patents to smartphone maker HTC to help it pursue patent litigation against Apple.
Google has been interested in acquiring patents for some time now, which led to its failed bid in June for the patents of Nortel Networks, and its proposed acquisition of Motorola Mobility for about US$12.5 billion.
The tech world has recently seen an explosion in patent litigation, often involving low-quality software patents, which threatens to stifle innovation, Kent Walker, Google’s senior vice president and general counsel, said in a blog post in April.
“But as things stand today, one of a company’s best defenses against this kind of litigation is (ironically) to have a formidable patent portfolio, as this helps maintain your freedom to develop new products and services,” he added.
The acquisition of Motorola Mobility’s patents was a key consideration for Google to start talking to the company in early July. But Motorola told Google that it could be a problem for Motorola Mobility to continue as a stand-alone entity if it sold a large portion of its patent portfolio, according to a filing by Motorola to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday.
Like the patents from the previous patent transaction between Google and IBM, the range of inventions covered in the new set of patents is pretty broad, including desktop and server hardware, computer security, database processes, circuit design, parallel database systems and architecture, user authentication, creditcard/smartcard testing, and much more, said SEO by the Sea. The vast majority of patents appear to have been originally assigned to IBM, but there were a few that started out at Cognos, which IBM acquired in 2007, and which was merged into IBM’s business intelligence offerings, it added.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Dead Island DLC to add co-op survival mode
If the launch of the upcoming Dead Island DLC is as controversial as this week’s release madness then we’ll have to break out the extra-strong tea to cope. The Bloodbath Arena pack will add four new survival maps that will let players fight unlimited waves of zombies in order to survive for as long as possible. With no limit to the enemies, you’ll never actually survive the survival maps, but “inevitable death maps” sounds a lot less inviting. Slay zombies! Earn points! Stave off your inevitable demise! The DLC will be released later this month. No price has been announced, but special edition purchasers will get it for free.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Android Patent Wars Continue, Ice Cream Sandwich Coming Soon
HTC is suing Apple with patents transferred from Google as a defense against Apple’s lawsuit. Meanwhile, Acer and Viewsonic have signed patent licensing agreements with Microsoft.
HTC Counters Apple with Google Patents
Google transferred nine patents to Tokyo-based hardware developer HTC, the company that made the first Android device. The nine patents came from earlier Google acquisitions, including four patents from Motorola Mobility, acquired last month. Those nine patents were then used to start a case against Apple, according to Bloomberg.It’s offense as a defense for HTC, who is currently being sued by Apple for patent infringement. Apple claims that HTC is violating patents on the iPhone. HTC’s counter is that Apple violates patents for updating software wirelessly.
Google and HTC are working in tandem in this case. It may be that Google handed off the patents so they could counter Apple without having to step into the arena themselves. Among other incentives, Google has long maintained that patent cases slow innovation, so any patent suits could be seen as hypocritical.
Of course, HTC’s anti-patent crossfire doesn’t mean they’re completely on Google’s side. HTC already signed a patent licensing agreement with Microsoft for $5 per device, pre-empting any Microsoft attempts at patent lawsuits.
The Microsoft Licensing Deals
HTC may have been the first Android hardware developer to license with Microsoft, but Acer and Viewsonic have now followed in their footsteps. While the exact terms haven’t yet been released, Microsoft indicated previously that they were seeking $7.50 to $12.50 per device.Microsoft is certainly pleased with the arrangement, with Microsoft executive Horacio Gutierrez calling the agreements “an example of how industry leaders can reach commercially reasonable arrangements that address intellectual property.”
Android Keeps on Trucking
Despite the various patent cases, Google’s Android is continuing unhindered. Executive Chair Eric Schmidt recently announced that Google Android OS 2.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) would be out in October or November of this year.Additionally, the company has developed an action plan to stop fragmentation while still keeping Android open.
According to an internal Google document, Google is planning to release versions of Android only after innovation is complete (the documents specifically says “Do not develop in the open.”) and give early access to companies (i.e., Motorola, Verizon) that “build and distribute devices to our specifications.” What those specifications might be is uncertain, but the tactic will give Google greater hardware control than they have had to date.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Apple rumored to use thinner, lighter, safer battery for iPad 3
Apple is said to have chosen two suppliers to provide batteries that will be thinner and lighter, but also up to 30 percent more expensive, for its third-generation iPad.
Simply Technology and Dynapack International Technology have both been tapped for the next-generation batteries, according to Taiwan Economic News. Both companies are said to currently supply batteries for Apple’s iPad and MacBook lineup.
The report said Apple’s third-generation iPad will be mass-produced in the first quarter of 2012. The device’s battery is said to have been redesigned to be thinner and lighter, and will reportedly offer a longer service life than the battery found in the iPad 2.
“Furthermore, the new battery pack will also be required to meet CTIA IEE 1625 standard for better quality and safety reliability, a trend that has been commonly seen nowadays, especially in the U.S.,” the report said.
The new thinner, lighter and safer battery will also reportedly come at a higher price for Apple, costing between 20 percent and 30 percent more than the battery currently found in the iPad 2.
Both Simplo and Dynapack are rumored to begin providing batteries to Apple in the fourth quarter of calendar 2011. That would put the company on track to begin production of the so-called “iPad 3″ soon after, and would also put Simplo and Dynapack in a position to earn record quarterly revenues.
Last month it was said that Apple was already near the trial production phase for its third-generation iPad. The device is expected to have a high-resolution screen, similar to the Retina Display found on the iPhone 4.
That retina display is expected to be provided by three major suppliers in order to meet growing demand for Apple’s iPad lineup. LG Display, Samsung Electronics and Sharp have all been rumored to be in the supply chain for Apple’s next iPad.
Also in August, Apple was said to have e begun trial production of the proprietary A6 mobile processor that’s expected to power the next iPad 3 and, eventually, a sixth-generation iPhone. A previous report from the Taiwan Economic News named Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. as the new manufacturer of the chip, reportedly snagging a role formally filled by Samsung.
The ARM-based A6 is said to incorporate TSMC’s 28-nanometer process and 3D stacking technology. The chipmaker’s “silicon interposer” and “bump on trace” methods are also said to be utilized in the next-generation chip, which is scheduled to be finalized in the first quarter of 2012.
Simply Technology and Dynapack International Technology have both been tapped for the next-generation batteries, according to Taiwan Economic News. Both companies are said to currently supply batteries for Apple’s iPad and MacBook lineup.
The report said Apple’s third-generation iPad will be mass-produced in the first quarter of 2012. The device’s battery is said to have been redesigned to be thinner and lighter, and will reportedly offer a longer service life than the battery found in the iPad 2.
“Furthermore, the new battery pack will also be required to meet CTIA IEE 1625 standard for better quality and safety reliability, a trend that has been commonly seen nowadays, especially in the U.S.,” the report said.
The new thinner, lighter and safer battery will also reportedly come at a higher price for Apple, costing between 20 percent and 30 percent more than the battery currently found in the iPad 2.
Both Simplo and Dynapack are rumored to begin providing batteries to Apple in the fourth quarter of calendar 2011. That would put the company on track to begin production of the so-called “iPad 3″ soon after, and would also put Simplo and Dynapack in a position to earn record quarterly revenues.
Last month it was said that Apple was already near the trial production phase for its third-generation iPad. The device is expected to have a high-resolution screen, similar to the Retina Display found on the iPhone 4.
That retina display is expected to be provided by three major suppliers in order to meet growing demand for Apple’s iPad lineup. LG Display, Samsung Electronics and Sharp have all been rumored to be in the supply chain for Apple’s next iPad.
Also in August, Apple was said to have e begun trial production of the proprietary A6 mobile processor that’s expected to power the next iPad 3 and, eventually, a sixth-generation iPhone. A previous report from the Taiwan Economic News named Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. as the new manufacturer of the chip, reportedly snagging a role formally filled by Samsung.
The ARM-based A6 is said to incorporate TSMC’s 28-nanometer process and 3D stacking technology. The chipmaker’s “silicon interposer” and “bump on trace” methods are also said to be utilized in the next-generation chip, which is scheduled to be finalized in the first quarter of 2012.
Apple rumored to use thinner, lighter, safer battery for iPad 3
Apple is said to have chosen two suppliers to provide batteries that will be thinner and lighter, but also up to 30 percent more expensive, for its third-generation iPad.
Simply Technology and Dynapack International Technology have both been tapped for the next-generation batteries, according to Taiwan Economic News. Both companies are said to currently supply batteries for Apple’s iPad and MacBook lineup.
The report said Apple’s third-generation iPad will be mass-produced in the first quarter of 2012. The device’s battery is said to have been redesigned to be thinner and lighter, and will reportedly offer a longer service life than the battery found in the iPad 2.
“Furthermore, the new battery pack will also be required to meet CTIA IEE 1625 standard for better quality and safety reliability, a trend that has been commonly seen nowadays, especially in the U.S.,” the report said.
The new thinner, lighter and safer battery will also reportedly come at a higher price for Apple, costing between 20 percent and 30 percent more than the battery currently found in the iPad 2.
Both Simplo and Dynapack are rumored to begin providing batteries to Apple in the fourth quarter of calendar 2011. That would put the company on track to begin production of the so-called “iPad 3″ soon after, and would also put Simplo and Dynapack in a position to earn record quarterly revenues.
Last month it was said that Apple was already near the trial production phase for its third-generation iPad. The device is expected to have a high-resolution screen, similar to the Retina Display found on the iPhone 4.
That retina display is expected to be provided by three major suppliers in order to meet growing demand for Apple’s iPad lineup. LG Display, Samsung Electronics and Sharp have all been rumored to be in the supply chain for Apple’s next iPad.
Also in August, Apple was said to have e begun trial production of the proprietary A6 mobile processor that’s expected to power the next iPad 3 and, eventually, a sixth-generation iPhone. A previous report from the Taiwan Economic News named Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. as the new manufacturer of the chip, reportedly snagging a role formally filled by Samsung.
The ARM-based A6 is said to incorporate TSMC’s 28-nanometer process and 3D stacking technology. The chipmaker’s “silicon interposer” and “bump on trace” methods are also said to be utilized in the next-generation chip, which is scheduled to be finalized in the first quarter of 2012.
Simply Technology and Dynapack International Technology have both been tapped for the next-generation batteries, according to Taiwan Economic News. Both companies are said to currently supply batteries for Apple’s iPad and MacBook lineup.
The report said Apple’s third-generation iPad will be mass-produced in the first quarter of 2012. The device’s battery is said to have been redesigned to be thinner and lighter, and will reportedly offer a longer service life than the battery found in the iPad 2.
“Furthermore, the new battery pack will also be required to meet CTIA IEE 1625 standard for better quality and safety reliability, a trend that has been commonly seen nowadays, especially in the U.S.,” the report said.
The new thinner, lighter and safer battery will also reportedly come at a higher price for Apple, costing between 20 percent and 30 percent more than the battery currently found in the iPad 2.
Both Simplo and Dynapack are rumored to begin providing batteries to Apple in the fourth quarter of calendar 2011. That would put the company on track to begin production of the so-called “iPad 3″ soon after, and would also put Simplo and Dynapack in a position to earn record quarterly revenues.
Last month it was said that Apple was already near the trial production phase for its third-generation iPad. The device is expected to have a high-resolution screen, similar to the Retina Display found on the iPhone 4.
That retina display is expected to be provided by three major suppliers in order to meet growing demand for Apple’s iPad lineup. LG Display, Samsung Electronics and Sharp have all been rumored to be in the supply chain for Apple’s next iPad.
Also in August, Apple was said to have e begun trial production of the proprietary A6 mobile processor that’s expected to power the next iPad 3 and, eventually, a sixth-generation iPhone. A previous report from the Taiwan Economic News named Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. as the new manufacturer of the chip, reportedly snagging a role formally filled by Samsung.
The ARM-based A6 is said to incorporate TSMC’s 28-nanometer process and 3D stacking technology. The chipmaker’s “silicon interposer” and “bump on trace” methods are also said to be utilized in the next-generation chip, which is scheduled to be finalized in the first quarter of 2012.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Nvidia CEO: Quad-Core Tablets Coming By End Of Year
Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang wants to be the first to deliver a quad-core mobile processor
In its endeavor to be the leading chip provider for high-end smartphones and tablets, Nvidia has prided itself on moving more swiftly than its competitors.The California chipmaker currently appears to be in the lead by one important measure: delivering the world’s first mobile quad-core processor.
Jen-Hsun Huang, Nvidia’s President and Chief Executive, confirmed to Forbes that Google Android tablets running the company’s much-anticipated quad-core processor will be available this year. That should keep Nvidia ahead of rivals like Qualcomm who aren’t expected to deliver silicon with similar capabilities until the end of the year.
The two chipmakers have been jousting over leadership of the high-end smartphone processor market. Qualcomm, which has a long history of providing technology to cellphone manufacturers, likes to emphasize its experience and expertise in the mobile device industry while Nvidia points to sophisticated technology and engineering that it brought over from its graphics processing unit (GPU) business. “We’re the only people seriously on the dance floor with Qualcomm,” contends Huang. “We’re really the only two active players [in the high-end mobile processor market].”
Nvidia was less definitive about its ability to launch a quad-core chip in a consumer-ready smartphone in the next few months. Nvidia previously predicted it would have quad-core phones on sale in 2011, but Huang indicated there may only be quad-core tablets this year.
Despite lining up notable smartphone partnerships, such as Motorola’s Atrix, Droid Bionic and Photon 4G, Nvidia’s focus on high-end smartphones limits its mobile processor business to 100 million units (globally) today. That’s why Nvidia plans to branch out from so-called superphones into the mainstream smartphone market. Huang says that will happen within the next year as Nvidia incorporates technology from its May acquisition of baseband processor maker Icera. He anticipates that Icera’s technology will be integrated with Nvidia’s Tegra mobile processors as a platform offering by the second quarter of 2012.
Extending into regular smartphones will give Nvidia a much bigger market to play in. Huang estimates the company could ship 1 billion mobile processors a year by 2015. “We’ll be very pleased if we can be a sizable player in the mainstream phone market,” says Huang.
Beefing up its mobile business will eventually flip the balance between Nvidia’s two main businesses: GPUs and mobile processors. Today, Nvidia’s GPU business is about $4.5 billion while its mobile business is about $2 billion. Huang predicts that will reverse by 2015 with mobile sales generating $20 billion of business for Nvidia and GPUs $7 billion.
Nvidia has already acquired a leading position in Android smartphones and tablets. Huang says the company has a 70% share of the Android tablet market, which makes up about 30% of the overall tablet market. Nvidia’s share of Android superphones is a little lower, about 50%, says Huang.
Nvidia CEO: Quad-Core Tablets Coming By End Of Year
Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang wants to be the first to deliver a quad-core mobile processor
In its endeavor to be the leading chip provider for high-end smartphones and tablets, Nvidia has prided itself on moving more swiftly than its competitors.The California chipmaker currently appears to be in the lead by one important measure: delivering the world’s first mobile quad-core processor.
Jen-Hsun Huang, Nvidia’s President and Chief Executive, confirmed to Forbes that Google Android tablets running the company’s much-anticipated quad-core processor will be available this year. That should keep Nvidia ahead of rivals like Qualcomm who aren’t expected to deliver silicon with similar capabilities until the end of the year.
The two chipmakers have been jousting over leadership of the high-end smartphone processor market. Qualcomm, which has a long history of providing technology to cellphone manufacturers, likes to emphasize its experience and expertise in the mobile device industry while Nvidia points to sophisticated technology and engineering that it brought over from its graphics processing unit (GPU) business. “We’re the only people seriously on the dance floor with Qualcomm,” contends Huang. “We’re really the only two active players [in the high-end mobile processor market].”
Nvidia was less definitive about its ability to launch a quad-core chip in a consumer-ready smartphone in the next few months. Nvidia previously predicted it would have quad-core phones on sale in 2011, but Huang indicated there may only be quad-core tablets this year.
Despite lining up notable smartphone partnerships, such as Motorola’s Atrix, Droid Bionic and Photon 4G, Nvidia’s focus on high-end smartphones limits its mobile processor business to 100 million units (globally) today. That’s why Nvidia plans to branch out from so-called superphones into the mainstream smartphone market. Huang says that will happen within the next year as Nvidia incorporates technology from its May acquisition of baseband processor maker Icera. He anticipates that Icera’s technology will be integrated with Nvidia’s Tegra mobile processors as a platform offering by the second quarter of 2012.
Extending into regular smartphones will give Nvidia a much bigger market to play in. Huang estimates the company could ship 1 billion mobile processors a year by 2015. “We’ll be very pleased if we can be a sizable player in the mainstream phone market,” says Huang.
Beefing up its mobile business will eventually flip the balance between Nvidia’s two main businesses: GPUs and mobile processors. Today, Nvidia’s GPU business is about $4.5 billion while its mobile business is about $2 billion. Huang predicts that will reverse by 2015 with mobile sales generating $20 billion of business for Nvidia and GPUs $7 billion.
Nvidia has already acquired a leading position in Android smartphones and tablets. Huang says the company has a 70% share of the Android tablet market, which makes up about 30% of the overall tablet market. Nvidia’s share of Android superphones is a little lower, about 50%, says Huang.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Toshiba tries anew with 10.1-inch Android tablet
tablet market, introduced the AT200
Android tablet today, a Honeycomb-powered model with a 10.1-inch screen.
The tablet, like Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1, has a screen resolution of 1280×800. It’s 7.7mm thick and the Wi-Fi-only model weighs 558 grams–measurements Toshiba is very excited about as a sales pitch.
“People like thin and light,” said Steve Crawley, Toshiba’s senior manager for tablet product development, at the IFA electronics show here. Toshiba boasts that’s the thinnest and lightest for a tablet in its screen size.
Andy Bass, Toshiba’s vice president of sales and marketing in Europe, shows the AT200 Android tablet.
The tablet has a dual-core TI OMAP 4430 processor running at 1.2GHz; an LED-backlit LCD display; a battery good for eight hours of video; ports for MicroSD cards, HDMI video, and USB; a gyroscope, accelerometer, and electronic compass; a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash and 2-megapixel front-facing camera; stereo speakers; 1GB of memory; 256mm by 176mm by 7.7mm dimensions; and Wi-Fi supporting 802.11b/g/n. It’s got Adobe Systems’ Flash Player 10.3, convenient for the BBC iPlayer crowd, and Toshiba’s media player software.It’ll ship in the fourth quarter, Crawley said. The tablet will arrive with version 3.2 of Google’s tablet operating system, aka Honeycomb, but Toshiba is committed to an over-the-air update to its successor, Ice Cream Sandwich, he added.
The Android tablet market is a tough one, though. Strong players such as Samsung haven’t made much headway against
Apple’s iPad dominance, and it’s tough for Android device makers to stand out from the crowd.
“If you’re all going Android some people will have their work cut out to distinguish the product,” Crawley said. Toshiba believes it can with the AT200, its third-generation tablet. In addition to the thin-and-light argument, the company will emphasize sound features, such as the ability to adjust sound according to best fit the conditions where the tablet is located, and video features, such as Resolution+ upscaling technology to improve low-resolution video.
Crawley believes that Android tablet software is “getting better all the time,” though. “We are very happy with the market and how it’s developing.”
Toshiba also thinks it’s in a better position now than it was during earlier tablet attempts such as the AT100. Asked what the company learned from those, Crawley replied, “What didn’t we learn? To be first on the market was a very difficult trick. We learned how to talk to Google better, to tailor our product more.”
Toshiba tries anew with 10.1-inch Android tablet
tablet market, introduced the AT200
Android tablet today, a Honeycomb-powered model with a 10.1-inch screen.
The tablet, like Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1, has a screen resolution of 1280×800. It’s 7.7mm thick and the Wi-Fi-only model weighs 558 grams–measurements Toshiba is very excited about as a sales pitch.
“People like thin and light,” said Steve Crawley, Toshiba’s senior manager for tablet product development, at the IFA electronics show here. Toshiba boasts that’s the thinnest and lightest for a tablet in its screen size.
Andy Bass, Toshiba’s vice president of sales and marketing in Europe, shows the AT200 Android tablet.
The tablet has a dual-core TI OMAP 4430 processor running at 1.2GHz; an LED-backlit LCD display; a battery good for eight hours of video; ports for MicroSD cards, HDMI video, and USB; a gyroscope, accelerometer, and electronic compass; a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash and 2-megapixel front-facing camera; stereo speakers; 1GB of memory; 256mm by 176mm by 7.7mm dimensions; and Wi-Fi supporting 802.11b/g/n. It’s got Adobe Systems’ Flash Player 10.3, convenient for the BBC iPlayer crowd, and Toshiba’s media player software.It’ll ship in the fourth quarter, Crawley said. The tablet will arrive with version 3.2 of Google’s tablet operating system, aka Honeycomb, but Toshiba is committed to an over-the-air update to its successor, Ice Cream Sandwich, he added.
The Android tablet market is a tough one, though. Strong players such as Samsung haven’t made much headway against
Apple’s iPad dominance, and it’s tough for Android device makers to stand out from the crowd.
“If you’re all going Android some people will have their work cut out to distinguish the product,” Crawley said. Toshiba believes it can with the AT200, its third-generation tablet. In addition to the thin-and-light argument, the company will emphasize sound features, such as the ability to adjust sound according to best fit the conditions where the tablet is located, and video features, such as Resolution+ upscaling technology to improve low-resolution video.
Crawley believes that Android tablet software is “getting better all the time,” though. “We are very happy with the market and how it’s developing.”
Toshiba also thinks it’s in a better position now than it was during earlier tablet attempts such as the AT100. Asked what the company learned from those, Crawley replied, “What didn’t we learn? To be first on the market was a very difficult trick. We learned how to talk to Google better, to tailor our product more.”
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Windows 8 to directly support ISO and VHD files
Windows 8 will let you open and view ISO and VHD files all on its own, according to the latest “Building Windows 8″ blog from Microsoft.
Posted yesterday by Microsoft engineer Rajeev Nagar, the new blog post, titled “Accessing data in ISO and VHD files,” revealed that native support for ISO and VHD files was one feature often requested by users, prompting the company to add it to its upcoming OS.
ISO (International Organization for Standardization) files are image files that hold the contents of a CD or DVD. Large programs available for download through the Internet are increasingly being created as ISO files. For example, the programs that Microsoft offers through its TechNet subscriptions are packaged as ISO files.
With Windows 7 and prior Windows versions, you’re forced to burn an ISO file to a CD or DVD in order to install the program stored within that file. Of course, many users rely on third-party ISO utilities instead to work past the limitations in Windows. Virtual CloneDrive and Daemon Tools are two utilities that can “mount” ISO files so that the OS can see them as disk drives, letting you directly install the program.
But Windows 8 will natively support the ability to mount ISO files. Double-clicking on the file will automatically mount it so that it appears as a virtual disk drive. From there, you can click on the drive in Windows Explorer to view the contents of the ISO file and install the software it contains.
 |
| Windows 8 will natively support ISO files. |
Windows 8 to directly support ISO and VHD files
Windows 8 will let you open and view ISO and VHD files all on its own, according to the latest “Building Windows 8″ blog from Microsoft.
Posted yesterday by Microsoft engineer Rajeev Nagar, the new blog post, titled “Accessing data in ISO and VHD files,” revealed that native support for ISO and VHD files was one feature often requested by users, prompting the company to add it to its upcoming OS.
ISO (International Organization for Standardization) files are image files that hold the contents of a CD or DVD. Large programs available for download through the Internet are increasingly being created as ISO files. For example, the programs that Microsoft offers through its TechNet subscriptions are packaged as ISO files.
With Windows 7 and prior Windows versions, you’re forced to burn an ISO file to a CD or DVD in order to install the program stored within that file. Of course, many users rely on third-party ISO utilities instead to work past the limitations in Windows. Virtual CloneDrive and Daemon Tools are two utilities that can “mount” ISO files so that the OS can see them as disk drives, letting you directly install the program.
But Windows 8 will natively support the ability to mount ISO files. Double-clicking on the file will automatically mount it so that it appears as a virtual disk drive. From there, you can click on the drive in Windows Explorer to view the contents of the ISO file and install the software it contains.
|
| Windows 8 will natively support ISO files. |
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Foxconn to ship Apple a massive 20M iPads this quarter
Apple’s overseas manufacturing partner Foxconn is reportedly expected to ship an enormous 20 million iPad 2 units to Apple in this quarter, setting the company up to once again break sales records.
If Foxconn meets that estimate, it would represent 60 percent sequential growth in shipments, according to DigiTimes. iPad 2 orders are expected to be a major source of growth for the China-based operation, though Foxconn declined to comment on any specific clients.
To put the numbers in perspective, during its last fiscal quarter, Apple announced it had shipped a record 9.25 million iPad 2 units, which was a 183 percent increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple’s figures represent the total number of units actually shipped, rather than the number of iPads built and supplied by Foxconn.
When the iPad 2 first launchedthis year, Apple could not meet demand as the company struggled to manufacture more units. Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook referred to Apple’s effort to build more units as “the mother of all backlogs.”
But as Apple and its overseas manufacturing partner Foxconn have apparently addressed those issues, shipments in the third quarter of calendar 2011 appear poised to skyrocket. As further evidence that Apple has overcome its supply woes, the company this week began selling refurbished iPad 2 units on its online store, at a discount of $50.
If Foxconn does ship Apple 20 million iPad 2 units this quarter, which concludes at the end of September, it would reach that milestone before the 2011 holiday buying season, when sales typically spike. For example, in the September quarter of last year, Apple sold 4.19 million first-generation iPad units, while sales rose to 7.33 million units in the holiday quarter concluding in December.
Apple’s surging iPad sales continue as its competitors have failed to replicate the company’s success in the touchscreen tablet market.
Most recently, Hewlett-Packard opted to discontinue its TouchPad after just six weeks on the market due to poor sales.
If Foxconn meets that estimate, it would represent 60 percent sequential growth in shipments, according to DigiTimes. iPad 2 orders are expected to be a major source of growth for the China-based operation, though Foxconn declined to comment on any specific clients.
To put the numbers in perspective, during its last fiscal quarter, Apple announced it had shipped a record 9.25 million iPad 2 units, which was a 183 percent increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple’s figures represent the total number of units actually shipped, rather than the number of iPads built and supplied by Foxconn.
When the iPad 2 first launchedthis year, Apple could not meet demand as the company struggled to manufacture more units. Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook referred to Apple’s effort to build more units as “the mother of all backlogs.”
But as Apple and its overseas manufacturing partner Foxconn have apparently addressed those issues, shipments in the third quarter of calendar 2011 appear poised to skyrocket. As further evidence that Apple has overcome its supply woes, the company this week began selling refurbished iPad 2 units on its online store, at a discount of $50.
If Foxconn does ship Apple 20 million iPad 2 units this quarter, which concludes at the end of September, it would reach that milestone before the 2011 holiday buying season, when sales typically spike. For example, in the September quarter of last year, Apple sold 4.19 million first-generation iPad units, while sales rose to 7.33 million units in the holiday quarter concluding in December.
Apple’s surging iPad sales continue as its competitors have failed to replicate the company’s success in the touchscreen tablet market.
Most recently, Hewlett-Packard opted to discontinue its TouchPad after just six weeks on the market due to poor sales.
Foxconn to ship Apple a massive 20M iPads this quarter
Apple’s overseas manufacturing partner Foxconn is reportedly expected to ship an enormous 20 million iPad 2 units to Apple in this quarter, setting the company up to once again break sales records.
If Foxconn meets that estimate, it would represent 60 percent sequential growth in shipments, according to DigiTimes. iPad 2 orders are expected to be a major source of growth for the China-based operation, though Foxconn declined to comment on any specific clients.
To put the numbers in perspective, during its last fiscal quarter, Apple announced it had shipped a record 9.25 million iPad 2 units, which was a 183 percent increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple’s figures represent the total number of units actually shipped, rather than the number of iPads built and supplied by Foxconn.
When the iPad 2 first launchedthis year, Apple could not meet demand as the company struggled to manufacture more units. Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook referred to Apple’s effort to build more units as “the mother of all backlogs.”
But as Apple and its overseas manufacturing partner Foxconn have apparently addressed those issues, shipments in the third quarter of calendar 2011 appear poised to skyrocket. As further evidence that Apple has overcome its supply woes, the company this week began selling refurbished iPad 2 units on its online store, at a discount of $50.
If Foxconn does ship Apple 20 million iPad 2 units this quarter, which concludes at the end of September, it would reach that milestone before the 2011 holiday buying season, when sales typically spike. For example, in the September quarter of last year, Apple sold 4.19 million first-generation iPad units, while sales rose to 7.33 million units in the holiday quarter concluding in December.
Apple’s surging iPad sales continue as its competitors have failed to replicate the company’s success in the touchscreen tablet market.
Most recently, Hewlett-Packard opted to discontinue its TouchPad after just six weeks on the market due to poor sales.
If Foxconn meets that estimate, it would represent 60 percent sequential growth in shipments, according to DigiTimes. iPad 2 orders are expected to be a major source of growth for the China-based operation, though Foxconn declined to comment on any specific clients.
To put the numbers in perspective, during its last fiscal quarter, Apple announced it had shipped a record 9.25 million iPad 2 units, which was a 183 percent increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple’s figures represent the total number of units actually shipped, rather than the number of iPads built and supplied by Foxconn.
When the iPad 2 first launchedthis year, Apple could not meet demand as the company struggled to manufacture more units. Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook referred to Apple’s effort to build more units as “the mother of all backlogs.”
But as Apple and its overseas manufacturing partner Foxconn have apparently addressed those issues, shipments in the third quarter of calendar 2011 appear poised to skyrocket. As further evidence that Apple has overcome its supply woes, the company this week began selling refurbished iPad 2 units on its online store, at a discount of $50.
If Foxconn does ship Apple 20 million iPad 2 units this quarter, which concludes at the end of September, it would reach that milestone before the 2011 holiday buying season, when sales typically spike. For example, in the September quarter of last year, Apple sold 4.19 million first-generation iPad units, while sales rose to 7.33 million units in the holiday quarter concluding in December.
Apple’s surging iPad sales continue as its competitors have failed to replicate the company’s success in the touchscreen tablet market.
Most recently, Hewlett-Packard opted to discontinue its TouchPad after just six weeks on the market due to poor sales.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Nvidia: Kaufman Launches With Buy Rating, $18 Target
Kaufman Bros. analyst Mike Burton this morning launched coverage of the chip maker Nvidia with a Buy rating and $18 target price. The stock closed Wednesday at $13.31.
“We view NVDA as a major beneficiary of the convergence of mobility and computing, and an increasing focus on power efficient processing, which should help the company leverage its core competencies in Visual and Parallel Computing,” he writes in a research note. “While it is going to be a tough fight ahead for NVDA to further penetrate the mobile market with its Tegra product line (due mostly to intense competition), we believe that given the growth and expected size of the smartphone market (we expect 500 million+ units in 2012) coupled with the company building upon current design wins (major wins include Motorola, Samsung and LG) should help to support strong growth rates for the company over the longer term as it benefits (with others) from the convergence of mobile computing, tablets and smartphones.”
NVDA this morning is up 23 cents, or 1.7%, to $13.54.
Nvidia: Kaufman Launches With Buy Rating, $18 Target
Kaufman Bros. analyst Mike Burton this morning launched coverage of the chip maker Nvidia with a Buy rating and $18 target price. The stock closed Wednesday at $13.31.
“We view NVDA as a major beneficiary of the convergence of mobility and computing, and an increasing focus on power efficient processing, which should help the company leverage its core competencies in Visual and Parallel Computing,” he writes in a research note. “While it is going to be a tough fight ahead for NVDA to further penetrate the mobile market with its Tegra product line (due mostly to intense competition), we believe that given the growth and expected size of the smartphone market (we expect 500 million+ units in 2012) coupled with the company building upon current design wins (major wins include Motorola, Samsung and LG) should help to support strong growth rates for the company over the longer term as it benefits (with others) from the convergence of mobile computing, tablets and smartphones.”
NVDA this morning is up 23 cents, or 1.7%, to $13.54.
Windows 8 to offer both Metro and desktop interface
 |
| Windows 8 Metro UI |
In the latest installment of the “Building Windows 8″ blog, Microsoft exec Steven Sinofsky confirmed yesterday that Windows 8 machines will sport the Metro interface, which he described as “fast and fluid, immersive, beautiful, and app-centric.”
With touch-screen capabilities and an overall theme borrowed from
Windows Phone 7, the Metro UI has been designed with smartphones and
tablets in mind but can run on traditional computers as well.
However, for people who want better control over their PCs, Microsoft will also offer the more traditional desktop interface as an alternative. By default, Metro will actually hide and not even load the Windows desktop. But people who prefer the more familiar environment can easily flip a switch to display the desktop, which Sinofsky referred to as “just another app” in Windows 8.
“The things that people do today on PCs don’t suddenly go away just because there are new Metro style apps,” said Sinofsky, who is president of Microsoft’s Windows and Windows Live Division. “The mechanisms that people rely on today (mice, physical keyboards, trackpads) don’t suddenly become less useful or ‘bad’ just because touch is also provided as a first-class option. These tools are quite often the most ergonomic, fast, and powerful ways of getting many things done.”
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Germany lifts Doom ban after 17 years
A German ban on selling Doom to teenagers has been lifted after 17 years.
The classic video game was put on an index of controlled titles in 1994 as it was deemed likely to harm youth.The rules have been relaxed because officials believe that Doom is now only of artistic and scientific interest and will not appeal to youngsters.
However, one version of the game remains on the index because it features Nazi symbols on some levels.
Sadistic violence
The restrictions on Doom and Doom II officially expired on 31 August following a meeting of the Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons (Bundesprufstelle) earlier in the month.
The Bundesprufstelle reportedly decided to reconsider the game’s status following an appeal by Bethesda Softworks, the current owner of id Software, which created Doom.
Bethesda argued that the game’s crude graphics had been surpassed by many modern titles and, as a result, the violence it depicted had far less of an impact.
The Bundesprufstelle said its original decision was not solely based on the graphic quality of the game, although it noted that most mobile phones now supported far more realistic images.
The panel explained that it was originally concerned because the story played out in Doom involved a relentless cycle of gunplay and “bloody sadistic” violence that was not balanced by other scenes.
In an email to BBC News, a spokesman for the Bundesprufstelle said the key question it asks is whether a game contains “drastic portrayals of violence directed against human or human-like beings”.
They added: “If the game then does not contain any real alternative scenes which might on the whole ‘neutralise’ the violent parts, then the game is likely to be found to have a harmful effect on minors.”
The Bundesprufstelle said it had relaxed the restrictions because Doom was now “mainly of historical interest” and was far less likely to be played by children. Not least, it added, because much more realistic and challenging games were more widely available.
Some members of the Bundesprufstelle panel wanted to keep the restrictions in place but were outvoted by those deeming it acceptable.
If Doom goes on sale in Germany it will still only be available to those aged 16 or over.
The adults-only rule was beginning to look like an anomaly because other versions of Doom games, such as one for the Game Boy Advance, had previously been approved in Germany.
Restrictions on Doom II – Hell on Earth have also been lifted.
However, the panel decided to maintain controls on the American version of Doom II because it incorporates two levels from Wolfenstein 3D which makes use of Nazi symbols including swastikas.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
IBM Continues Analytics Buying Spree
IBM has opened its business analytics wallet, buying i2 and Algorithmics.
IBM(IBM), again flexing its business analytics muscles, spent $387 million to grab Canadian risk management specialist Algorithmics, which follow’s Wednesday’s deal for U.K. security software firm i2.
As of Thursday, IBM has completed 26 business analytics acquisitions over the last five years, spending more than $14 billion. The tech giant plans to use its latest purchase to drive fresh financial sector revenue, according to Gordon Burnes, an IBM business development director specializing in analytics.
“This particular acquisition will help fuel our growth around business analytics in the risk management arena,” he told TheStreet. “There are major regulatory and macro-economic drivers that are encouraging companies to take a look at how they are managing risk across the business.”
Algorithmics sells software for assessing financial firms’ business processes and identifying areas where they could fall foul of regulations such as Reg FD for information disclosure. The software could also be used to analyze, say, the risk posed to investors by hedging a set of derivatives against a bank’s portfolio of loans.
“[Investors] are demanding greater transparency into risk,” said Burnes.
Companies using Algorithmics’ products include HSBC, Societe Generale and Nomura.
IBM Boosts Its Global Security Offerings
Cambridge, U.K.-based i2, on the other hand, sells analytics software to tackle crime, fraud and security threats. The company’s software is used by eight of the top ten companies in the world, according to IBM, and spans industries like retail, banking, law enforcement and national security.
Allan Krans, an analyst at Technology Business Research (TBR), believes that the i2 deal was driven by IBM’s desire to boost its overseas presence. “The acquisition of i2 is the latest example of the company’s effort to grow government revenue outside its home geography,” he wrote in a research note. ” i2 brings IBM a strong presence in a number of European government organizations, as the company counts 4,500 customers and 25 of the 28 NATO member nations as customers.”
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